Meet the Potter's
by petals-to-fish
Summary: After an argument with her mother, Lily runs off to Sirius Black's flat to drink away her anger but Lily's boyfriend James Potter has other plans...plans for her to win a water fight, snog him in a forest, and (most importantly) meet his parents. XxX requested: a stand-alone companion fic to 'First Meeting' and tumblr jily challenge "summer water fight trope" prompt


**Jilychallenge Tumblr July Challenge**

 **summer tropes received:** _"we're having a water fight but your white shirt is see through now and I'm distracted? oops?"_

This was written as a companion ficlett to "First Meeting" since everyone wanted to know where & whom Lily ran too after Petunia called Eliza about Vernon

* * *

She'd gone running to Sirius' after a bad fight with her mum since her own boyfriend was 'basically in azkaban' (or so James' owl had read) for breaking into a restricted area of the Ministry of Magic on a internship tour. Sirius was good as a shoulder to lean on when Lily needed to talk to about how annoying families could be but Lily had wanted nothing more than to see James' calming stare. As if he read her mind, her boyfriend was standing in front of her with inquisitive hazel eyes that studied her long skirts and lightly flowered white shirt.

Even though the shock of seeing him standing there on Sirius' steps bold as brass was taking up a large portion of her brain, Lily couldn't deny that James Potter looked exactly like Prince Charming at that very moment.

He wore light summer robes colored navy blue and she enjoyed seeing the more relaxed hairstyle versus the last combed mess he'd had. Like her, James seemed pensive by her appearance even though he was the one who had appeared so boldly in broad daylight after his parents had deemed him grounded for eternity. The smirk on his face could only be described as mischievous and was probably the same smirk he wore when he got caught at the Ministry.

"You're not supposed to be here James." Lily crossed her arms to appear strict even though she failed miserably at it; "Sirius told me you're still under house arrest."

James shrugged, "Yet, here I am."

She wanted to hug James but she was afraid if she reached out for him, he'd disappear. She'd missed him so much and they'd only been apart for two weeks. She couldn't resist smiling back at him and letting her hands unfold. The honeymoon phase of their relationship was only growing with the time spent apart and she forgot how much of a charmer he could be. Lily chewed on her bottom lip as James' eyes reached her face after tracing her form and noticed that her green eyes were red rimmed from crying.

"Want me to go?" he joked, "My jail cell probably misses me."

"No, of course not..." Lily struggled to keep her voice even when she remembered that Sirius had likely owled James to tell him Lily had shown up crying on his doorstep, "But what about your parents?"

"Dad's pretty miffed that I broke into the Magical Mishaps Ward." James offered something to distract Lily from the tears already threatening to spill, "I'm not supposed to leave the house for another week but mum bought me non refundable tickets to a quidditch game in Wales and she seems to be cooling down enough to let me out of the house."

"What made you think breaking into the Magical Mishaps Ward was a good idea?"

"You should've seen the size of the boils on this bloke Evans, he looked like an red cactus and I mean any normal person would wonder what he did so I snuck in behind him— _oomph_."

Lily couldn't take the space between them anymore and stepped out of Sirius' doorway to grab him by a fistful of robe and plant her lips on his keenly. James chuckled against her lips before wrapping one arm around her waist and tugging her into his skinny frame just as fervently. Every tear that had been threatening to spill disappeared the moment she was caught up in his secure arms. Every nasty thought about her sister Petunia seemed pointless when he pulled back to grin at her like she was his greatest treasure.

Let Petunia have her _fancy_ Vernon Dursely in _fancy_ London with her _fancy_ typing job.

Lily had something way better.

She had James Potter.

" _Merlin_ , I missed you." He breathed eagerly as her hands traced down his chest, "You've no idea how many times I've wanted to come to Cokeworth and—" when Lily's smiled faltered he stopped and took notice, "That bad this time, huh?"

Lily's lip wobbled and she remembered her mum arguing with Petunia over the phone. Petunia invited the Evans' up to London to meet her new beau named Vernon but had made it very clear Lily was not invited. It crushed Lily's heart, even though Petunia's brazen attitude was to be expected. The girls had properly gotten along since they were ten years old playing on swing sets outside of their house.

"Petunia managed to leave me out of the family, yet again." Lily said bitterly as James wiped her hair from her eyes carefully.

"Why?" James' forehead wrinkled adorably in confusion.

Lily sighed, "Petunia called mum about a new boyfriend today…"

He kissed her gently on her nose as her lip wobbled as she remembered hearing Petunia's disdain through the phone piece. She remembered the eagerness that sat in the pit of her stomach when her mum mentioned visiting London to meet a boy—Petunia's boy. Lily remembered hoping, even for a moment that the sisters might have something to bond over together again.

Lily had James.

Petunia apparently had Vernon.

They could've gone back to being friends slowly, with their boyfriends bringing them together. They could've gone back to tea in the garden and cards on Christmas. They could've been different from Sirius and his brother Regulus—who hadn't spoken in five years. Lily forgot that no amount of similarities could ever make Petunia Evans ever be decent enough to try.

Behind the couple, Sirius' door remained open but there were no shouts to close the door, as Sirius had left minutes before to get Lily a firewhisky and her favorite candy after she'd told him about the fight. Lily moped and wrapped her arms around James' neck, leaning into him expectantly. James kept his hands on her waist, rocking them slightly on the steps.

James' frown deepened, "Your sister called your mum to tell her about a boyfriend?"

Lily explained further, "Petunia called to ask mum and dad to go to London to meet him."

James' expression fluttered for a moment, "Well that's great!" he squeezed her waist excitedly, "We can—"

"James," Lily cut him off before he got too excited, "Petunia explicitly told my mum she didn't want me there because she didn't tell her boyfriend about me."

James' face dropped, "She didn't—she didn't tell him?" he seemed startled, "About you being a witch?"

Lily swallowed as tears slipped from her eyes and laughed bitterly, "No James, Petunia didn't tell her boyfriend that she even _had_ a sister."

"What?!" James bellowed angrily.

Lily nodded fervently, "I heard her tell mum through the receiver."

"What's a receiver?" James asked, always confused by muggle technology.

Always charmed by his lack of knowledge Lily brushed his hair from his eyes with one hand, "Part of a telephone."

James had learned about a telephone recently so he nodded, but a sliver of confusion rested on his face as they spoke. Lily didn't doubt that James already had a million questions running through his mind. Instead of asking all his queries though, James turned his brain back to her inconsolable frown.

"Where's Sirius?" James noted that their best friend hadn't appeared out from his own flat.

"He went to get firewhisky and pepper imps." Lily said, "He claims that always makes him feel better when he has family problems."

James let go of Lily's waist to reach behind her and close Sirius' door. Lily tilted her head at James in bewilderment. Sirius was going to come back and she wondered if James wanted to sit outside, despite the summer heat. James took out his wand and then swiped her wand from the bun resting atop her head. The wand had been holding the strands in place and her red hair fell around her shoulders.

"What're you doing?" she tried to sound annoyed but it was hard to be annoyed at him when he was looking so adoringly at her.

"How about a field trip?" he tucked her wand into his pocket but kept his wand out.

"A field trip?" Lily remarked.

"What kind of boyfriend am I if I don't spoil my girlfriend?" James said persuasively, "I'll get ahold of Sirius when we get back to my place and tell him you decided to hang out with your dashing prison bound boyfriend."

Lily took a step back in surprise as she wiped tears from her cheek, " _Your_ place?"

James wrapped one hand in hers, "Ready to meet the parents, Evans?"

Lily ripped her hand from James' hand instantly; "You're grounded!" she laughed doubtfully.

James rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand again, "Grounded _shmounded_."

"I can't meet your parents _yet_ ," Lily huffed, "That's totally unfair because I can't introduce you to my parents until Petunia's boyfriend news is old hat!"

He looked exasperated, "You seriously want to wait for your sister's boyfriend spotlight to dim before telling your parents that you're happy with someone too?"

Lily sent James a glare; "My sister has made it very clear in the past seven years that we're not to share a spotlight."

"Well, whatever, you can still meet my parents. I don't have any vindictive siblings," he bragged, "I'm an only child."

"Don't let Sirius hear you say that."

"The vindictive part or the only child part?" James grinned and when she only sent him a pointed stare he continued, "You're right though, mum and dad had a bad habit of not being able to turn away the broken-home kids I bring around; Sirius being a prime example of adopted Potter kids."

Lily snorted, "Sirius was fifteen and your best friend when he ran away from his home."

James winked, "If they didn't turn away Sirius when we were fifteen I doubt they'll turn away my girlfriend when I'm of age." He tugged on her hand again when her feet stayed firmly planted on Sirius' steps, "Come on Evans, don't be a baby."

Before Lily could snap at him for calling her a baby, colors swirled in front of her eyes and she felt like she was being pulled through a tiny tube. The only thing she could be sure of was James' hand clasped tightly in hers. Her hair was swirling about her face and she was thankful James had the foresight to take her wand so it wouldn't have been lost in apparition. The rushing in Lily's ears lasted only as long as the flashing colors.

When the weird feelings stopped Lily was standing in front of an old cottage.

James looked down at her with a smile, "Welcome to Godric's Hollow, Lily."

The vines on the wooden fence surrounding the cottage were long overgrown and sprouting a sweet smell almost like honeysuckle. Lily gripped James' hand as her eyes swept over old English brick that formed the ancient cottage surrounded by maple trees. It felt like she'd stepped out of the twentieth century and back into time where being a witch no longer felt peculiar.

Everything at Lily's childhood home clashed with the magical world she thrived in. The flowers looked normal in the vase on her mum's rickety table when she cut up frog legs for her potions. The scattered windowpanes were easily seen through to the outside world at Lily's house when Lily was used to the old iced glass panes of Hogwarts castle. Lily's clothes even felt abnormal when she tried wearing her muggle clothes with her robes.

Lily let go of James' hand to turn in a circle. They were on a long road that housed multiple cottages each alike in structure but different in aesthetic. The Potter cottage looked like something out of a fairy tale where the cottage next door was littered with old cauldrons and a lurking black cat. On the other side of the Potter house was a field strewn with tall grasses and a few mini quidditch goal posts. Underneath Lily's feet were red cobblestones making up a cute pathway that led from one door to another fashioning a sense of a community among the cottages.

"It's beautiful." Lily said, eyes wide with wonder.

James had his hands shoved in his pockets, just enjoying watching her take in his home with such joy and awe. When Lily stopped spinning she turned to smile at James, loving how natural he looked in this element of fairytale society. With the maples trees blowing in the slight breeze behind James, Lily was struck with the deep sense of longing she felt whenever she stared at him for too long. His hazel eyes were warm as he removed a hand from his pocket to show her that he still had her wand.

She took a deep breath and took her wand, tucking into her skirt for the time being. James then took her free hand, clasping their fingers together.

"Time to meet the Potters."

James led Lily forward, pushing open the gate that led to the front door of the cottage. The wooden door was slightly cracked to the open air. When James pushed it open entirely a house elf appeared out of nowhere wearing a pink tea cozy. Lily was taken aback at first, only having spotted house elves once or twice in her life.

"Mr. Potter!" the elf's voice was high pitched and eager, "Where have you been?"

"Out." James replied simply.

"Your parents are in the sitting room waiting for you, sir!" then the elf noticed Lily peering over James' shoulder at her large bat-like ears, "Oh! Company!"

"It's fine Adley." James promised the elf that swooped low to bow at Lily, "This is my girlfriend, Lily."

The house elf's eyes widened as Lily chewed her lip and looked around the small entrance they'd emerged in. There was a mirror to her left whispering sleepy things as James set his wand on a stand rocking by the doorway. Half a dozen photos of witches and wizards lined the cramped entryway giving the hallway a homey feeling. Lily tried to get a good look at the moving photographs but James was already pulling her towards a doorway to their left.

"Mum!" he called, "Dad!"

"We're in the sitting room, love!" a cheerful voice called, "How was your walk at the park?"

"Walk in the park?" Lily hissed at James who grinned sheepishly.

"I brought you a surprise!" he announced excitedly, sending Lily a wink.

"I told you to stop adopting stray cats off the street!" a male voice joshed before coughing acutely.

"This is _way_ better than a kitten."

"Oh good Agrippa," the female voice laughed, "He's finally brought home a puppy, Fleamont."

Lily's heart pounded more as they entered a brightly lit room. The lighting was in part thanks to a large bay window that overlooked a side yard littered with flowers and garden gnomes. Two chairs sat partially facing the window, hands strung between them in a most romantic way. The couple was strange looking with quite the startling difference between the pair. The woman had dark skin that matched James' and she wore long robes made of the prettiest swirling's of color. In contrast, the man at her side was as pale as Lily with knobby knees and James' signature messy black hair. The woman's grey hair was fashioned into a clip of sorts that sparkled in the light when she moved in surprise of James' arrival with Lily in tow.

"You're definitely much prettier than a stray puppy." The woman said with astonishment, her black eyes cruising up and down Lily's body.

"And cleaner." The man said jokingly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, " Lily spoke up while pinching her boyfriend expectantly, "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you dear," Mrs. Potter smiled brilliantly, "Did our son find you in the park?"

"Something like that ma'am." Lily said through her teeth, blatantly looking at James.

"What did we say about you bringing home friends while you're grounded James?" Mrs. Potter's tone was soft but firm, the type of voice James had when he was trying to be serious but simply couldn't stop smiling.

"You said not to bring them?" James replied sweetly, "But she's not a friend..."

"Bringing strangers home now, James?" Mr. Potter has James' hazel eyes and Lily was charmed to think James was the perfect mixture of both his parents.

"You said no more friends, and Lily isn't my friend." James announced proudly as Lily pinched him in the side for avoiding the topic.

"Not a friend?" Mr. Potter adjusted his glasses on his nose.

"She's my girlfriend." James announced proudly, puffing out his chest and flinging an arm around Lily's shoulders.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter exchanged a look as the blood rushed to Lily's cheeks, turning her into a blushing fool as the adults sent each other amused grins. Mrs. Potter turned her head back to her son.

"So she's a girl who's a friend?" she raised a grey eyebrow methodically.

"Girlfriend." James nodded firmly.

"A girl who happens to be a friend? That still constitutes under friend." Mr. Potter finished, "Hmm."

James, for once in his life, was outwitted. Lily's eyes flashed from one Potter to another, shocked that she suddenly knew why James was the way he was. She knew why everything out of his mouth was so funny and challenging and playful. His parents were the exact same way. The apple fell really, really close to the tree when it came to the Potter family. A smile cracked her features as James sputtered.

"She's had a really awful day, can't she just stay? I was gonna take her for a walk in the woods behind the house and Sirius said—"

Mrs. Potter's frail shoulders lifted when she heard _'awful day'_ and suddenly Lily could see the same woman who had adopted Sirius without question when he was kicked out of his family. James (who was very clearly adored by his parents) was going to get what he wanted.

"A bad day?" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, "What happened?"

James looked at Lily for explanation and Lily cleared her throat.

"I got some bad news." She said awkwardly.

When Lily didn't talk enough, James finished flatly, "Her sister's as big a piece of work as any one of Sirius' cousins."

Lily's eyes shot back to his parents, surprised to see their expressions relax. The house elf named Adley appeared carrying a tray of tea and scones to the couple in the chair. Balanced on the edge of the tray were two rather ghastly looking potions. Both adults reached for the potions automatically and swallowing them simultaneously. Mr. Potter looked as if he's swallowed it plenty of times before but Mrs. Potter wrinkled her nose.

"Ghastly stuff." She grinned when she saw Lily's perked interest, "Fleamont and I are struggling to keep our health up—we're not as young and spry as we used to be."

"My mum takes vitamins." Lily replied stupidly, "When she's feeling under the weather."

"Vitamins?" Mr. Potter's eyes perked, "What kind of potion is that?"

Lily chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at James, not knowing if he wanted his parents to know he was dating a muggelborn. Not that she thought it mattered but she had purposely kept James away from her parents because he was a wizard. Lily's parents hadn't had great altercations with wizards. The only one Lily had ever brought home before was a boy she no longer associated with because he was cruel.

James answered for her; "Lily's a muggleborn dad so she says a lot of weird words." James winked at Lily, "It's a part of her charisma."

"You'd think dating a muggleborn would've earned you better marks in your muggle studies OWLs." James' father grinned wickedly, pulling his sons leg.

"He doesn't always listen when I talk." Lily joked.

"What was that?" James laughed when Lily hit him on the arm.

"Muggleborn?" Mrs. Potter seemed pacified, "Well, that explains your outfit."

Lily glanced down a her skirt and shirt expectantly, "What?"

"Oh dear," Mrs. Potter smiled at Lily's worry, "You're clothes are fine, I was just surprised to not see someone in robes is all—I don't get out much anymore."

Mr. Potter readjusted on the cushion as he grabbed the tea from the house elf offering the cup, "So, what's your name?"

Lily suddenly realized she hadn't introduced herself since the Potter's had been too busy bantering for her to say anything, "Sorry sir, I'm Lily."

"Lily?" Mr. Potter's eyes sparked with interest, "As in Lily Evans?"

"Yes." Lily said in surprise as James turned red instantly beside her, "How'd you know?"

Mrs. Potter looked thrilled, "Well, you're _quite_ famous around here Miss Lily."

"I am?" Lily looked at her boyfriend expectantly and he was red as a tomato.

"James has always spoken _very_ highly of you." Mr. Potter said as Lily chewed her bottom lip nervously as he got what they hinted at.

"You'd talk about me to your parents?" Lily grinned at James and he looked self-conscious at her finding out he was always adorably into her.

"Er, once or twice?" he offered awkwardly.

"More like all summer since sixth year." Mrs. Potter laughed, "Now, you two go have fun. Lily dear, you'll be joining us for dinner tonight, alright?"

Lily pinched James' shoulders as he drug her from the sitting room, hissing in his ear, "Don't be embarrassed," she said, "I think it's cute you've fancied me so long."

James' father's voice called to the couple as James led her past a staircase that led upstairs and towards a opened door at the end of the hall, "Door open, son."

James flushed even more and Lily smirked knowingly into the crook of his arm as he guided her into another well-lit room. The room itself was covered in quidditch posters with moving players that darted across her eyes. A four-poster similar to the ones at Hogwarts sat in the middle of the room right beside a large window that overlooked the field where the small quidditch hoops were. The covers on the four-poster were pushed flat and made to perfection but Lily had seen James' dorm room at school and knew the house elf must clean this room for him. James let go of Lily's hand to sit on the edge of his bed as her fingers traced an old wooden desk by the door.

There were drawings covering the desk. Her fingers touched the dry inked stains that moved and flowed together to create an enormous stag and roguish wolf. Beside the animals was a sketch of Lily, wrapped up in a cloak, and she could place the sketch with a memory in her own mind: their first kiss. Lily pushed aside more of the papers so she could examine each drawing in awe. There was one of his father kissing his mother on the forehead.

"Are your parents okay?" she whispered.

"They keep getting sick, Healer's think it might be early stages of Dragon Pox."

Lily heard the disdain in James' voice and she decided to not turn and look at him. It was very clear to Lily that James didn't want to talk about his parents health and she wondered if they weren't doing as well as he wanted to believe. Lily stared pointedly at a drawing he'd done of Hogwarts, admiring the familiar towers that spiraled into the sky. James had an eye for the prettiest things and she wished for one minute she could see the world through his artistic eyes.

"What'd you want to do today?" he voice drew her from her sleuthing and she turned, leaning against the desk to stare at him.

"You said you have woods behind the house?" she asked.

James nodded, "There's a little creek not too far from here. Me and the boys love it over there."

Lily nodded eagerly at the chance to explore more of Godric's Hollow. James made her wait for him so he could call Sirius through their magical two-way mirror. Sirius had arrived back at his flat to find Lily gone and assumed James had grabbed her. Lily thanked Sirius for getting her firewhisky and promised to meet him again for a night of drinking later on in the week.

"I'm sure my sister will do something stupid again." She said in a false cheery voice before James hung up the mirror.

James kissed her cheek when the mirror went away. Lily leaned into his kiss before he grabbed her hand and led her from his bedroom back into the wood paneled hallways. They exited the cottage through a backdoor that led right into the field covered in long swinging green reeds. The grasses ticked Lily's knees under her skirts as James dragged her through a slightly worn down path that led to the wood behind the Potter's house.

The trees swayed in the summer breeze and the sun beat down on Lily's neck. She wondered how James could wear his robes in the dead summer, even his lighter ones, but she knew wizards were more comfortable in robes than muggle clothes. He kept ahold of her hand as they entered a small thicket that led them to a smaller path in the woods, leading directly away from the cottages.

"This is wicked." Lily told James as leaves brushed against her shoulders, "You grew up in the coolest place ever."

James chuckled as he guided her through the forest, "I mean, yeah, I love living here because we're a mostly wizarding village. I think there's only three or four families of muggles here and they're still related to some of the magical families so we never have to hide our magic."

Lily chewed her lip again and thought about how nice it would be to not have to hide her magic. Even Lily's parents didn't quite get her talents with a wand, even though they'd lived with it for the better part of ten years. Lily had always kept herself proud of her muggle heritage but Petunia had made it very hard to be proud of being both a witch and the daughter of muggles. Lily knew Petunia's rage stemmed from jealousy but the two sisters hadn't spoken about magic since their argument when they were eleven.

Lily kept her eyes trained on the back of James' head as he led her through the woods. They passed a few fairy rings and the slope started going down as they continued. Finally James led her along an old rock staircase that overlooked a bubbling little brook filled with clear water. The side of the stream was rocky and littered with leaves but it was charming and reminded Lily of Hogwarts.

They'd both worked up a sweat from their walking and Lily happily let go of James' hand to dip her toes in the water, which was chilly to the touch.

"It's cold!"

"It's probably the warmest it'll ever be." James laughed from behind her.

Lily glanced back and grinned when she saw he was rolling up his sleeves. She turned back to the small creek, wading in further, up to her ankles. She heard James' footsteps behind her and she went to say something else but James ruined it by jumping around her stealthily and splashing the cold water at her with a lighthearted laugh.

The cold water dripped from her hair down her face and onto her shirt. She stared at James' bemused face in shock before shouting noisily and reaching down to grab her own handfuls of water. James' glasses became skewed in seconds and the frames were covered in water droplets as the pair began a competitive water fight.

James was using his feet to kick the cold water at her. Lily tried blocking the water with her hands but she was soaked within minutes. Her skirts weighted around her claves as she struggled to keep up with his attacks but he was winning. They were both knee deep in the chilly water shouting obscenities at each other until they were both properly soaked to the bone. When James stopped to grin at her wickedly, Lily looked up at the branches overhead. The green leaves only let little bursts of blue sky into their magical wonderland and birds chirped in every corner despite the laughter Lily had so readily expelled under James' expert water throwing.

"We're definitely going to have to get you a new shirt for dinner." James said suddenly from behind her.

"Hm?" Lily turned and she saw he had a cool curve to his smirk so she looked down at her frock in question.

"Your shirt is see through and it's the most distracting thing in the entire world right now."

Their water fight had proven deadly to her light colored top. The white color had turned translucent and underneath it all was nothing but her favorite seamless bra. She suddenly knew why she'd gotten away with staring at their surroundings for so long without him attacking her with another wave of water. His hazel eyes were still tracing her form with impeccable detail.

"Was this your plan all along?" she teased as he undressed her with his treacherous eyes.

He commented cunningly, "Might've been, yeah?"

Lily's scraped her eyes up his frame and thought that, _Merlin_ , he also looked very distracting while soaking wet. He'd looked like Prince Charming on Sirius' staircase earlier that day but in the middle of their private creek, James looked like a dangerously irresistible bad boy in her favorite films. She couldn't resist her eyes traveling down his thin frame once more. In that moment she felt like the luckiest girl in the world because not only was her boyfriend crazy attractive, he was literally the sweetest boy she'd ever known.

Lily danced in one spot, the fresh air clearing her mind and liberating her heart.

"You don't look half bad yourself," she tugged on her shirt, "We should've had a water fight in the lake back home."

"Home?" he questioned.

"Hogwarts." She replied, "We've always taken walks beside the Great Lake and we've never gone in."

"The Great Lake would be _freezing_ compared to this." He wrinkled his nose in disagreement, "Definitely not as fun." Then he reclaimed a mischievous grin, "Although, cold water would be an excuse to stay closer to each other?"

Lily drew in a calculated breath, "Oh, I don't _need_ an excuse to be close to you."

"You're so," and he paused to swipe her red hair over her shoulders, " _perfect_."

It was nice to have someone to lean on as she stood resilient while the water rolled over their knees. Her skirts were tangling around her ankles and she was struggling to keep her breathing even as he ducked his head. He pressed his lips against hers before the water could drift them apart. His hands stayed clasped to her waist, his fingers pressing into her skin like an anchor pressed into the sand to keep a ship afloat. James kept Lily afloat on and off the water.

He made her laugh when she wanted to cry.

He played in creeks to help her get her mind off home.

He kissed her in the shallow water behind his house, making her live out a fantasy she only could've dreamed about before meeting him.

He pulled his lips away to press his forehead against hers only for a second before he dove back in. Lily met his hot, open-mouthed kisses with equal fervor, keeping her tongue as quick in his mouth as it was when she was teasing him. He tasted like a sugar quill (his favorite snack) but that only made Lily more desperate to embrace him until all she could savor was James' distinctive taste.

It was like diving into the deep end of a swimming pool without knowing how to swim, frightening and wild and wonderful all at once. His hands were everywhere now, grazing her body with as much force as the nature surrounding them. His fingertips were warmer than the water on her skin, following goosebumps wherever they touched.

Lily could've stayed there forever. She could've never left the water swirling around them like a blanket. She could've stayed wrapped up in James' embrace until her feet pruned and her hair tangled into an unforgiving mess. Lily was certain she could live in the forest if it meant being with James in complete bliss for the rest of their lives.

Real life had a discerning way of making their secure walls come tumbling down.

James pulled his lips away, eyes squeezed shut as if he had to force himself to stop kissing her, "We should get you back and changed before dinner."

"But this is so much fun…" Lily kicked out again. Water and dirk splashed across his chest, surprising him out from his trance. "Sorry, not sorry."

Lily covered her mouth to stifle a giggle as a look of competitiveness crossed James' features. It was the same look he got before every Quidditch match. His eyebrow raised at the same time as the right corner of his lips, lighting his face up in a way that made Lily's knees go weak. He looked down at his robes before looking back at her and shaking his finger as he leaned forward.

"It's _on_ Lily Evans." He warned and she continued giggling, backing away from him.

"I already won this fight," she bantered cheerfully.

"Like Hell you did."

James followed her in deeper, his hands in the water, splashing lightly in forewarning. Lily raised her hands to block the first wave of water he sent her way. The second wave was too fast and she turned away from his defense, letting the water splash into her red hair that tumbled down her back in waves.

"James!" she took both hands and scooped the crystal water in his direction.

"Sorry, not sorry." he mimicked her and she threw her head back laughing as she pushed another handful of water in his direction.

The water splattered across his face and he sputtered before lunging at her, wrapping his arms around her waist, tugging her into him. She squealed against his hold. His hands were clasped around her belly and she kicked out, pushing against him to attempt a release. He gave her none.

"Don't you dare dunk me," she warned but he just held on tighter against her splashing and kicking.

"I've got news for you love, you're already soaking wet..."

"James-no."

James chuckled into her ear suggestively, "I can think of plenty of other things I'd rather do right now..."

Lily glared up at him but it was a playful glare that only made him chuckle as he placed a kiss on her cheek. She swore that he could ask her for anything and she'd give it to him. She was wrapped around his finger, completely bent to his will. He kissed her until his hands were stuck under her translucent top and her fingers were trapped in his wet hair. His hands against her hot skin was all she needed. James wasn't subtle when he wanted something. Lily loved that James was never afraid to jump because when James fell into her arms, Lily was always falling right alongside him.

Eventually, James led Lily back to the cottage. Her frock and skirt were both sticking to her skin as they entered the cottage through the back door by his room. James led her back into his room and got her a towel before promising to be right back. He darted out of his room and she heard footsteps on the staircase not too far away. Lily toweled her hair and sat on the edge of his bed, kicking her wet shoes off. James appeared moments later carrying something blue in his arms.

He dropped the blue thing beside Lily on the bed and she picked the blue cloth up with interest.

"They're mum's," He said, "Our house elf thinks they'll fit you since they're older."

"Thank you." The fabric felt like silk against her fingers and they had to be the fanciest robes she'd ever seen.

James ruffled through the trunk at the foot of his bed for new robes while Lily slipped off her pointless shirt and placed it on the bed before pulling Mrs. Potter's robes over her head. They fit her perfectly. As Lily slid her wet skirt off underneath, the blue fabric of the robes clung to her every curve. When James popped back up form his trunk he drunkenly took her in with hazel eyes.

"How do you look amazing in everything?"

Lily laughed at his compliment before laying her skirt and shirt against his desk chair, water dripping from the fabric to his floor. She stared adoringly of a self portrait he'd drawn. Even when drawing himself, he managed to capture the emotions behind the paper. Lily wished more people knew about his artistic skills, he was so talented. Behind Lily James was ripping off his wet robes and replacing them with the dry ones. He placed his discarded robes on the chair with her clothes before placing his lips at her neck, kissing Lily behind her ear.

Lily leaned into his touch as she asked, "How do you draw everything so well?"

James chuckled, "You like 'em?" he leaned over her shoulder to look at his drawings.

"You're amazing."

"Sirius always said I should give up on wanting to be an auror so I can sell my art."

"I think the Hogwarts one is my favorite." Lily said, looking at him happily.

"My favorite hasn't been drawn yet," James reached around her to grab a quill, "Want to watch?"

Lily nodded and he beamed as he grabbed a sketchpad resting at the edge of his desk. James led her back to his bed. He jumped onto it, quill between his teeth. James patted the spot beside him and Lily climbed into the bed, curling up beside him as he flipped the sketchpad open. It was mesmerizing, watching his quill strokes reach across the page. His fingers moved the quill quickly and sent goosebumps on her arm as she watched James draw. He was drawing a girl— _her_ —standing in the middle of the stream—soaking wet. The way he got her hair to plaster around her shoulders and the way he could get the exact smirk on her face; it was like looking at a photograph.

Lily fell asleep against his arm and woke to his quill tickling her nose. She stretched against his hold and smiled up at him, realizing the world outside his windows had gotten darker. James' hand gripped hers and she saw he'd finished his drawing. His played with her fingers, his quill teasingly scraping against the skin.

"What are you doing?" she asked, leaning forward as James drew on her wrist.

"Giving you a tattoo." He replied as if he was offering her a note about the weather.

"Oh," Lily placed her chin on his shoulder as he tried to block her vision from his artistry, "I hope it's a tattoo that will intimidate everyone, like a dragon...or a thunderbird...or a really buff lioness."

"I don't think a tattoo will help," James replied, "You're about as intimidating as a bunny rabbit."

"I strike fear into the hearts of all those I meet!" Lily jested playfully.

James snorted, "Only when you've got your wand attached to you, love."

"I can intimidate _you_ without a wand." she kissed his neck and he hummed his appreciation.

When James finished sketching the sharp edge of the quill against her skin he let go of her hand. Lily stared at the ink with a knowing smile. It was a circle with wings.

"A snitch." She said of the small ball used in games of quidditch.

"Your favorite." He said appropriately.

She nodded, "Best position."

"Oi," he nudged her knee with his hand, "Your own boyfriend is a chaser."

Lily wrinkled her nose at him, "Yeah, he's alright."

"I was going to invite you to the quidditch game over the weekend but I guess I take it back." James scoffed as Lily sat up excitedly.

"This weekend?"

If Lily went with James she wouldn't have to stay in her empty house alone while her mum and dad met Petunia's new boyfriend.

James rolled his eyes, "Oh sure, _now_ you're interested."

Lily pulled on his sleeves eagerly, "You really want me to go to the quidditch match with you over the weekend?"

His eyes softened from her genuine excitement and he kissed her temple, "Of course," he said, "All our friends are going to be there, I wouldn't want to go without you."

Lily beamed and would've kissed him had the house elf not appeared and announced dinner was ready. James winked at her and dragged her out of him room and towards the front sitting room again. A table set with a white tablecloth and golden plates had replaced the two chairs. In the middle of the table was a vase of wildflowers that Mrs. Potter was arranging happily. Mr. Potter was sitting at the front of the table, reading a newspaper. The Potter's looked up when their son entered with Lily in tow, both of their faces erupting with kindness.

"Do you like pot roast?" Mrs. Potter inquired happily, "We can have the kitchen elves make something more—"

Lily interrupted sweetly as James brought her to one of the four chairs around the table, "I'm fine Mrs. Potter, thank you."

James pulled the chair out for her, kissing her cheek when she took her seat. Lily looked up at him, the light overhead giving him a halo before he went around to the other side of the table to sit down across from her. Dinner was a fun affair; Mrs. Potter kept Lily entertained with stories of little James with Mr. Potter joining in every so often. James' face went red in minutes and styed red the rest of the dinner as his parents remembered every embarrassing moment.

"And then I told him, _'James dear that's a thorny bush not a Christmas tree'_ and he said _'mummy this is the Christmas tree I want'!_ " Mrs. Potter laughed over a forkful of pie, "and James tried to cut it down but some of the thorns got stuck on his cloak and the more he struggled the more he got stuck."

James grumbled over his plate, "Yeah and then mum and dad left me there for a half hour."

"You learned your lesson," Mr. Potter shook his fork at James, "You've not gone near a thorn bush since."

"Because I was traumatized!" James gasped dramatically.

"You were _fine_." His parents both said simultaneously and Lily laughed again, earning a glare from her boyfriend.

Lily had such a nice time with the Potter's that when it was getting late she found that she didn't want to leave. James and Lily were sitting by the fireplace sharing a cup of tea when Mr. and Mrs. Potter bid their goodnights. Lily loved that Mr. Potter kissed her cheek and Mrs. Potter hugged her warmly.

"Visit again soon," Mrs. Potter told Lily generously, "We get enough of his other friends."

Lily beamed and James said, "She's going to go to the Quidditch match this weekend."

Mrs. Potter's eyes sparkled as she put her finger on her lips before throwing her neck back at where Mr. Potter was waiting for her, "Remember your father doesn't know."

James nodded solemnly and pretended to sew his lips shut. Mrs. Potter winked at them both, for a moment, appearing to look just like her son. The elder Potters slowly made their way up the staircase and then finally, Lily heard their bedroom door shut.

Lily leaned her head on James' shoulder as the fire crackled in front of them. It almost felt like they were back at Hogwarts in the Gryffindor common room. Underneath her feet was a plush rug and over the fireplace a painting depicted three wizards each holding various artifacts. Lily's eyes were drawn to a painting on the far wall of James and his parents. It had to have been done recently; James was a foot taller than his father in the painting.

"Your parents are lovely." Lily whispered over the crackling fire.

James chuckled, "You're only saying that because they spent all of dinner humiliating me."

Lily arched an eyebrow at James humorously, "Well, it's about time someone other than me knocked down your ego."

"Har, har, har." James scoffed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and tugging her in closer, "You're hilarious."

"Don't I know it." Lily chuckled as she watched the orange flames flicker yellow and gold in front of her eyes.

They sat there silent for a little while longer. Lily enjoyed being wrapped up protectively in James' arms and she enjoyed the atmosphere around them. The robes she'd been bestowed with by James earlier were light and airy, even against the fireplace. She let her eyes trace the embroidered flowers in the hem and was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the little sigh escape her lips, but James did.

"What's wrong?"

Lily turned her cheek so she could stare at him out of one eye, "I don't want to go back home."

He nuzzled his nose into her neck before playfully nipping her skin, "Then don't."

"Your parents probably don't want me staying here overnight." Lily reasoned.

"My parents are unobservant from now until eight in the morning." James snorted, "I dunno if you noticed but they're old and they don't exactly get around much anymore, even in the house."

Lily was still guarded and said, "I dunno James…you're already in trouble for the whole breaking and entering thing at the Ministry…"

"What's life without a little trouble?"

James kissed her neck, using his stupidly creative mouth to make her resolve weaken. She turned into putty in his arms and followed him into his bedroom where they cuddled on his bed like they hadn't spent all day together and only had minutes left to live. Lily was so happy and content that she realized she hated that her parents hadn't met James yet and she resented Petunia for bringing up her new beau Vernon.

Lily knew that she'd eventually have to face her mother about Petunia's new boyfriend…

Lily also knew that she'd have to introduce James to her parents since he'd finally introduced her to the Potter family. Lily was nervous about taking the step even though she'd never been surer about James in her entire life, especially wrapped up in his arms. If she told her parents now and Mrs. Evans told Petunia-Petunia would really never forgive Lily. Petunia had always been weirdly bitter about anything positive in Lily's life because the events normally clashed with Petunia's good news.

Petunia sewed her first dress at twelve? Lily got her Hogwarts letter.

Petunia got perfect grades in school? Lily one-upped her with Prefect.

Petunia was taking a fancy typing course in London? Lily overshadowed her yet again with a seventeenth birthday.

Lily (as happy as she was about James) didn't know if Petunia would ever forgive Lily if she introduced James as her boyfriend the same weekend that Petunia invited the Evans' to meet her boyfriend.

Lily knew that she'd have to tell her parents about James (sooner rather than later) but she thought maybe she'd ease them into it, starting by inviting James to breakfast with them on September first. The Evans' always had breakfast at a little café before Lily went to Hogwarts for school term and since James had do go to Kings Cross as well, it was the perfect place for James to meet her family.

"James?" she hummed and he nudged her with his nose to show her he was listening, "On September first I want us to have breakfast with my mum and dad."

James sat up, using one hand to prop himself up and over her so he could look at her through the darkness, "You want me to meet your parents?"

"I meant what I said earlier," Lily placed a hand on his chest, "I don't want to tell them you're my boyfriend quite yet—let Petunia's boyfriend news die down and in a couple of weeks I'll owl them while we're at school and tell them we're dating."

"But you still want me to meet them?"

Lily nodded firmly, "I want them to know you for the adorable, perfect, handsome dork you are and I can't explain any of that in some dumb letter."

James blew out frustrated, "Your sister's not going to be there right?"

Lily laughed and placed her other hand on his cheek, guiding his lips to hers for a quick kiss, "No," she confirmed, "She hasn't come to Kings Cross since we were eleven."

James was quiet and then, "What if they don't like me?"

"They're going to love you," their legs tangled together, "I'm going to prep you for it all weekend."

"Okay," James seemed pacified for now but Lily had a feeling part of the reason for his calm manner was because she was running her fingers across his scalp and through his hair.

Lily could only imagine how she was going to pull off introducing James to her parents without giving away how much he actually meant to her, because currently, James Potter was the single most important person in her life.


End file.
